# Play four: Making data interoperable

## Purpose of this play

As a project leader, you will need to organise health data in ways that encourage reuse and sharing. This play: 

* explains concepts such as interoperability 
* sets out the value of using standards when organising data 
* explains what techniques can be employed to adapt datasets so they can be used across different systems and be compared with other data assets.

## Who should read this play

* Non-technical leaders who are working on a health project that will collect, use or share data from multiple sources. 
* Health system leaders who want to acquire or share data with others, or aggregate data across the various systems they manage. 
* Health project partners who are creating new datasets or who want to acquire, combine or share datasets from others. 
* Data managers and health system leaders who need to set up new data assets or ensure quality data is being collected and stored in a way that enables reuse and sharing.

## When to use this play

* When collecting new data that needs to be interoperable with other data assets. 
* When building new partnerships that are likely to rely on data exchange (for example for research and innovation). 
* When seeking to create innovative data products that combine data assets from multiple sources.

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Please note that this guidance is **not legal advice** and if you are uncertain, you should seek support from a legal professional.
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